Climate change policies 'not to blame' for high energy bills

Efforts to tackle climate change are not responsible for increased energy prices, government advisers have insisted.

The committee on climate change conducted its first analysis of the cost of meeting carbon budgets on household energy bills in a bid to address concerns around the financial cost of switching to renewable energy.

"We were keen to provide a dispassionate analysis of household bill impacts in what has become a politically controversial area," committee chair Adair Turner said.

"Here in the UK, through our Final Demand campaign for energy we can all afford, Friends of the Earth is already calling for the government to tackle the power and influence of the Big Six energy firms that are keeping us hooked on fossil fuels," he wrote.

"Tackling climate change means bold, long-term decision making from our politicians. Now is the time for them to rise to the challenge."